Description
Academic English for Psychology
Module title | Academic English for Psychology |
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Module code | INT0205 |
Academic year | 2022/3 |
Credits | 30 |
Module staff |
Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
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Duration: Weeks | 12 | 12 |
Number students taking module (anticipated) | 44 |
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Description - summary of the module content
Module description
This module is designed to support your modules in the BSc in Psychology. It is part of the International Year One programme, which leads to a Certificate of Higher Education and counts as the first year of a degree in psychology. By taking this course you will become familiar with the language and concepts of the study of human behaviour and mental processes. In addition, you will develop the necessary language and study skills to approach assignments and tasks set in the discipline. These include researching psychological literature, participating in group presentations and seminars, taking notes, and developing skills for academic reading and written tasks.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to provide you with the opportunity to develop and strengthen your linguistic skills for the study of psychology if you already have a degree of proficiency in spoken and written English. At the same time, it will provide substantial support in terms of language and concepts for the psychology modules you study alongside all other first year psychology students in the university.
With some exceptions, all the work you do in this module is directly tied to the work you will be doing for your psychology modules. The core sessions (5 hours/week) provide essential academic and language skills to assist your progression to Year 2. There is ample opportunity for questioning and discussion, both with peers and with tutors, to enhance language and thinking skills. The additional sessions (up to 7 hours/week) support your psychology modules through dedicated lecture support, workshops for statistics, and an introduction to psychological concepts and critical thinking..
As a whole, the module aims to:
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enhance your ability to take notes and understand lectures in psychology
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develop your skills in reading and understanding psychological literature
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support you in developing a good understanding of how to write essays and research reports for psychology
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develop your confidence, fluency and accuracy in language use when participating in seminar discussions or giving a presentation
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develop a good understanding of how to approach university examinations
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Use language creatively and flexibly for a range of purposes and audiences.
- 2. Accurately employ a broad range of grammar patterns and vocabulary for effective oral and written communication.
- 3. Engage actively in discussion of psychological issues, showing awareness of the communicative needs of others
- 4. Engage in analytical and evaluative thinking in the discipline of psychology
- 5. Research and select psychology source materials effectively
- 6. Extract and synthesise key information from a range of written and spoken sources in the discipline of psychology
- 7. Take accurate and effective notes from written and spoken texts
- 8. Organise and present ideas orally and in writing within the framework of a structured and reasoned argument
- 9. Use psychology source materials appropriately in your writing following conventions of Academic Honesty and avoiding plagiarism
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 10. Communicate effectively in the field of psychology using the full range of currently available methods
- 11. Participate effectively in key elements of your taught programme
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 12. Think independently, critically and creatively
- 13. Manage yourself effectively including autonomy, time management, self-teaching, self-reflection, seeking and using feedback, personal responsibility, self-criticism
- 14. Use technology relevant to your studies, e.g. library catalogues, word-processing packages, VLE, PowerPoint
- 15. Work co-operatively with others, interacting effectively within a group
Syllabus plan
Syllabus plan
Listening and Speaking skills
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Listening comprehension and note-taking skills for lectures in Psychology
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Group discussion skills: using language appropriately, flexibly, and creatively; formulating questions about what you have heard and read to initiate discussions; showing awareness of other people’s communicative needs by supporting and encouraging their contributions
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Presentation skills: presenting on a topic you have researched to your peers, having organised the material to ensure clarity and coherence
Written language skills
Reading skills for Psychology
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Understanding the structure and ideas of complex, un simplified written text;
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Locating specific information from a variety of text types
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Engaging with text content; relating it to your own knowledge base in order to monitor your own understanding; adopting an analytical approach to text, e.g. comparing different writer’s views
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Building vocabulary in the field of psychology
Writing and research skills for psychology:
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Locating and evaluating potential sources
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Effective note-taking and summary for writing of assignments
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Supporting argument using source material through summary and paraphrase
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Synthesising information from different sources and incorporating these into your own writing
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Referencing: using APA conventions to make correctly formatted references to sources, compiling reference lists
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Analysis of essay titles and exam questions, establishing the focus required to answer these questions
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Planning and completing Psychology assignments in good time
Learning and teaching
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
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240 | 60 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
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Core sessions | 110 | 1) Academic English and Study skills: in these classes you will develop your ability to listen, read, write, and speak within an academic context. You will learn the necessary skills for pursuing an undergraduate degree. 2) Tutorials: you will be assigned a dedicated personal tutor who will support and monitor your progress through the course. |
Psychology support sessions | 130 | Lecture support sessions: in these classes you will consolidate your understanding of concepts, vocabulary, and skills introduced in the lectures. You will further develop your knowledge through extra reading or listening to relevant sources, discussion, or extra practice of statistical techniques. Introduction sessions: two short courses to introduce you to the fundamental of a) psychology and b) critical thinking which will help you in your university studies. |
Guided independent study | 60 | Self-study, assigned reading, and exam preparation |
Assessment
Formative assessment
Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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Pair presentation Term 1 | 10-15 minutes (5 minutes per student) | 1-6, 8-10, 12-15 | Spoken teacher and peer feedback |
Pair Interview Term 1 | 10 minutes | 1-4,10,12,13 | Spoken teacher feedback |
Referencing and Paraphrasing Task Term 1 | 200- 300 words | 1,2,5,7,9,14 | General oral feedback |
Group Seminar Term 2 | 20-30 minutes (5 minutes per student) | 1-7, 9-13,15 | Spoken teacher and peer feedback |
Reading and Writing Exam Term 2 | 2 hours; 400 words | 1-2, 4, 6-10, 12-14 | Generic feedback and brief written notes |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
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70 | 30 |
Details of summative assessment
Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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Referencing and Paraphrasing Task Term 1 | 10 | 400-500 words | 1-2,5,7,9,13-14 | Generic feedback and brief written notes |
Group Presentation Term 1 | 15 | 15-20 minutes (5 minutes per student) | 1-6, 8-10, 12-15 | Written teacher feedback |
Individual Interviews Term 1 | 15 | 7 minutes | 1-4,10,12 | Written teacher feedback |
Group seminar - Term 2 | 30 | 20-30 minutes (5 minutes per student) | 1-7, 9-13, 15 | Written teacher feedback |
Reading and writing examination Term 2 | 30 | 2 hours; 400 words | 1-2, 4, 6-10, 12-14 | Generic feedback and brief written notes |
Re-assessment
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
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Referencing and Paraphrasing Task | resubmission | 1-2, 5-7, 9, 13-14 | As soon as possible |
Group Presentation | Individual presentation (8 minutes) | 1-6, 8-10, 12-14 | As soon as possible |
Individual Interview | Individual interview (7 minutes) | 1-4,10,12 | As soon as possible |
Group Seminar | semi-structured interview (15 minutes) | 1-7, 9-13 | As soon as possible |
Reading and writing examination | Examination | 1-2, 4, 6-10, 12-14 | As soon as possible |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for reasons judged legitimate by the Mitigation Committee, the applicable assessment will normally be deferred. See ‘Details of reassessment’ for the form that assessment usually takes. When deferral occurs there is ordinarily no change to the overall weighting of that assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e., a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to re-sit each assessment you have failed (i.e., the ones with a score of 0-39%). Marks awarded in these referred assessment(s) will not be capped at 40%. If the overall module grade including the referred assessments is 40% or more, a module mark of 40% will be awarded.
Resources
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
Campbell, C. (2012) English for Academic Study: Vocabulary. Reading: Garnet
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Campbell, C. & Smith, J. (2017) English for Academic Study: Listening. Reading: Garnet.
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Hayes, N. & Stratton, P. (2017) A student’s Dictionary of Psychology and Neuroscience. Oxon: Routledge.
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Vicary, A. (2014) English for Academic Study: Grammar for Writing. Reading: Garnet
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=13320
Module has an active ELE page
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
Other resources:
Set textbooks, ELEs and reading materials for psychology modules PSY1202, 1203, 1204, 1205, 1206 & 1207
Credit value | 30 |
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Module ECTS | 0 |
Module pre-requisites | None |
Module co-requisites | PSY1203 - Introduction to Social Psychology (term 1) PSY1204 – Introduction to Clinical Psychology (term 1) PSY1205 – Introduction to Statistics (terms 1 and 2) PSY1206 – Introduction to Research Methods (term 1) PSY1207 – Cognition, Emotion and Development (term 2) PSY1202 – Introduction to Biological Psychology (term 2) |
NQF level (module) | 4 |
Available as distance learning? | No |
Origin date | 30/11/2013 |
Last revision date | 05/07/22 |